Ground-marker.



No. 633,451. Patehted Dec. 5, I899. F. H. ESPER.

GROUND MARKER.

(Applicatidn filed Feb. 27, 1899.)

(No Model.)

WITNESSES.

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FRANK H. ESPER, OF DEARBORN, MICHIGAN.

GROUND ARKER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 638,451, dated December 5, 1899.

Application filed February 27, 1899. Serial No. 706,949. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK H. ESPER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dearborn, in the county of Wayne, State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ground-Markers; and-l do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in ground-markers; audit consists in the construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out particularly in the claims.

The objects of the invention are to provide a ground-marker of simple and inexpensive construction in which the arrangementis such as to provide for an adjustment of the marking-legs, so as to vary the difference between the lines marked, to provide for swinging the marking-legs upon their supporting-shaft, so as to cause them to stand in a vertical position or at an angle to the vertical in either direction, according to the character of the ground, and a further arrangement whereby an adjustable operating-handle is provided, which may be moved to any position suitable to the height or convenience of the operator. These objects are attained by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a groundmarker embodying my improved features.

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is a plan view, the chills being broken away.

Referring to the letters of reference, A designates the main shaft, which is formed, preferably, of hollow iron and upon which the marking-legs B are mounted. These legs are formedof metal tubing of requisite strength, and their lower ends are bent slightly forward and are tapered, as at a, to enable them to more readily enter the ground. These marking-legs are secured on the main shaft by means of a clamp formed integral therewith and which comprises a loop portion b of such diameter as to receive said shaft and a straight portion 0, extending parallel with said legs and secured thereto by means of the bolts 6 c. The upper bolt 6 serves to clamp the loop portion upon the shaftA sufficiently to securely lock said legs in place when set at any desired angle. The lower bolt e serves to secure the lower end of the straight portion 0 to the leg, thereby strengthening the leg and preventing the bending thereof when its marking-point encounters unusual resistance.

By loosening the nut 6 upon the bolt 6 the marking-leg may be swung to any angle desired, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1, and may bemoved longitudinally upon the supporting-shaft, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2, enabling the marking-legs to be swung forward when it is desired to mark the ground deeply or to be swung rearwardly when the ground is unusually hard and there is a tendency of the marking-legs to bound or spring therefrom. The lateral adjustment of the marking-legs upon the shaft enables the ground to be marked with any desired distance between the rows.

The thills G are adj ustably mounted upon the shaft A by means of the integral clips cl formed thereon, which embrace said shaft and which are adapted to be secured thereto by means of the clamping-bolts e, which arrangement permits said thills to be moved upon the shaft and securely retained in place when properly positioned.

The trace-hooks D are mounted upon the main shaft adjacent to the thills for attachment of the traces, said trace-hooks being clamped to said shaft by means of the bolts 6 in the same manner as the thills are secured thereto, rendering said trace-hooks adjustable upon the shaft, as desired.

To provide for raising the marker from the ground for the purpose of turning at the end of the row or to raise said marker over an obstruction, an adjustable handle E is employed, which is in the form of a rectangular bail and the end portions of which are provided with integral clamps f, which embrace the shaft A and are adapted to be tightened thereon by means of bolts 9, which pass through the free ends of said clamps and through the handle. By means of this arrangement said handle may be swung in the are of a circle and secured in a horizontal position, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1, or be made to stand erect, as shown by solid lines in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, the position of the handle being determined by the height of the operator or the character of the work being done. At the lower end of the marking-legs is formed an aperture 0', which enables the attachment of a shoe to the marker, if desired.

From the foregoing description it will now be understood that this improved groundmarker is of simple and inexpensive construction and that the arrangement thereof is such as to enable the perfect adjustment of its marking-legs, so as to properly space the ground being marked and present the marking-points of said legs to the ground at the desired angle, so as to obviate the jumping of the marker and insure a perfect marking of the ground, according to the requirement of the seed to be placed therein.

Having thus fully set forth my invention, what I claim is- 1. In a ground-marker, the combination of the cylindrical shaft, the m arkinglegs mounted thereon to swing in the arc of a circle and to move longitudinally,'clamps carried by said legs for tightening them upon said shaft, and means for hitching to said shaft to propel the marker, substantially as set forth.

2. In a ground-marker, the combination of the hollow cylindrical shaft, the marking-legs FRANK I-I. ESPER. Witnesses:

E. S. WHEELER, M. A. MARTIN. 

